The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-08-03
PROPHETIC LYING.
Gen. Premises Wild Prophecies mt n Han
quet Thirty Years Ago Realized.

quet Thirty Years Ago Realized.
.Did you ever sit down and reflect on
the progress that has been made in this
country during the age OF man?" 1t
was the renowned Gen. Prentiss re-
turning from Ohio. where he had de-
livered Internationally address. who
asked the question. He then went on
TO say:
1T was some time in the sos that
attended Notification meeting at JET
ferson City, Mo. The meeting was for
the purpose of celebrating the compile
ton of railroad, and of course wine
bottles had 10 be cracked and speeches
made. Ii the speeches had been made
first and the bottles cracked afterward
| would probably not have been called
on to speak, but as it was the gentle
man who had 10 speak for the city OF
Quincy was too full of wine to have any
wit, and was requested to speak in his
stead. | saw that the company was
too far gone TO listen TO much serious
ness, SO | began a series OF the most eX-
travagant prophecies.
Gentlemen said l, there are
those present who will live to see city
of 5000 inhabitants ilourishing on the
banks of your great Missouri.
MAKE it 100000 while you're about
ii, Ncried one man.
EYES, said another, you might rs
well be killed for sheep rs a lamb.
THE child has already been born, ,
continued, who will step into palace
on wheels on Monday morning in New
York and 90 to bed the next Saturday
night in San Francisco.
"'That's pretty stiff yarn, | thank
you,' yelled man at the other end OF
the table, and he proposed to drink to
the health of the man who could tell SO
big story without cracking n smile.
The health was drunk and | went on:
The day is coming when some one
will stand in jefferson City and talk in
to the very ear of his friend in Liver
pool.
"'My God said half-tipsy man ut
my right, what liar you'd make if
you'd turn your attention to it!
"'Yes, | said, without noticing him,
and the boy now lives in Missouri who
will one day get up from his dinner
table and say: "Wlfe, where are my
wings? l want to Jump up to Chicago
this afternoon. I'll be back for
supper.
AT this perfect howl went up; the
dishes were swept from the table and
was voted the most artistic yarner in
the land.
"But now," continued the general,
isn't it strange that, although select
ed the most extravaganza prophecies /
could imagine, all excepting that relat-
ing to the wings have practically come
true already, and | am not prepared to
say that, gray as am. | shall not live
to see men tanning the air with wings
and chasing birds in their Hottest
flights. "
When that subject had been dwelt on
long enough the general was brought
around TO speak of the much-discussed
! battle of Shiloh.
'Yes, of course | have read General
Buell's article in the Century, said he
''but | prefer to say little about il.
will say only that Gen. Buell. should
| have written it before Gen. Grant died.
Yes, will say one more thing, and that
! is that Gen. Buell. should not have writ.
ten of the Sunday fight at all. for Meth
er he nor any Of his men were in it. He
did not come up until late that day.
began and ended that days fight fact
to which / refer to let YOU know that
speak with some knowledge of the mat
ter. / have written the story of that
battle, but it is not to be published yet.
1t is my trump card, and / do not mean
to play il until the others have all had
their say Did it ever occur to YOU that
in all the articles written about that
battle | have been treated with uniform
respect and in the pleasantest manner?
have noticed it because | think
know why it is so. think it is because
they know hold the last trump and
they don't want me to play it.
"Yet you do intend to play it some
time?"
II certainly do replied Gen. Prem
tiss; "thc history of that battle ha:
never been given public yet. l mean
that it shall be, and when my story il
published-after | leave the lecture
platform-it will be seen that grea
deal of untruth has been told, Willingly
or unwittingly, by those who have al
ready written on the subject. - Chicago
| NctCS.